IT'S hard not to like the look of a 'bagger'. Harley-Davidson has the style down pat, and for 2012 the iconic American company has introduced the Switchback, on the Dyna platform. HD calls it a Convertible because you can easily convert the look and feel of the bike by taking off the panniers and screen. Add in the 103 cube V-twin engine, reasonable suspension travel, and touring width rear tyre you have a very capable long distance tourer, or boulevard cruiser.

Running gear
The air-cooled 1690cc engine has torque to burn (100 ft lbs at 3,500rpm). Solo or two up with gear there's more than enough power to keep most cruiser riders very happy. You can always go for a better air cleaner, Screaming Eagle tuner and lumpier camshaft if you like. Vibes from the engine are kept at bay to a large degree because it's rubber mounted, and the vibes you do get are pleasant in a slightly disturbing way if you get our drift.

Of course it's fuel injected, and the engine management system has a thing called Engine Idle Temperature Management Strategy (EITMS), where fuel and ignition is automatically cut from the rear cylinder when idling which reduces engine heat, making an easier time for the rider and passenger in traffic on a hot day – cool. HD has been using the same six-speed gearbox for a while and it feels as solid as the Harbour Bridge. Top gear is very much an overdrive, and most of the time we found ourself cruising in 4th or fifth gear, unless we were on the freeway. In previous models a light came up on the dash when you were in overdrive, not on the new Switchback though. We liked the old way better.

Suspension and brakes
Keeping the bumps at bay is a big task for any cruiser because of the inherent design flaw of heavy weight combined with short travel suspension. Sure, we copped the odd jar here and there but overall the forks and twin shocks worked well. You might think on a HD launch we would be restricted to perfectly manicured roads but this isn't the case. We explored Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland and sometimes the roads were a bit average. HD has done a pretty good job here, and the Switchback is one of the better cruisers we've sampled in this regard lately. Believe it or not there were times when we journos played a bit of boy racer on the Switchback and it handles extremely well considering its size and weight. If you want to play with suspension settings then you'll have to be content with preload on the rear shock only.
With only one front disc the Switchback looks a tad under braked. In the real world though it doesn't seem to matter. On most sportsbikes and the like the rear brake never seems to do much but on cruisers it's different. Because so much weight is over the rear wheel the rear brake feels almost as powerful as the front. If you stomp on them both the bike squats big time and just plants the fat tyres into the tarmac, engaging the ABS (optional) if you've really jumped on them.

On the stand
We love the 'bagger' look, and the Switchback is right on the money there. The wheels look straight off Steve McQueen's 'Bullit' Mustang, and the front profile is similar to an old steam train if you squint a bit. And the valanced guards look a treat too. With panniers and screen fitted the bike looks very old school, almost like a police bike from the ’50s. If you don't like the look of the Switchback you are either too young or you are cross-eyed.
For the rider it's easy to get to all the controls, with the footboards offering a bit of scope for foot movement, and the handlebars are high without being too high.

On the road
While the bike looks awesome with panniers and screen on, we found the height of the screen gave enough buffeting to be a distraction. Other journos on the launch said as much too, but really this is an easy fix. You can get different height accessory screens from HD. We'd go for a shorter one, so you can easily see over the screen and have the added bonus of less buffeting. As for the panniers we wouldn't bother taking them off at all, as they don't sit wider than either the footboards or the handlebars, plus they just look as cool as hell.Lots of non cruiser riders think bikes like these handle like old nails but they don't. If you want to hustle this bike along at a fair clip you need to change your riding style to suit, and this riding style doesn't include a high corner speed. By braking deep you can wash off lots of speed, then you turn the bike and use the torque to punch you out of the corner. Prop, Point, Squirt we like to call it. We just made up that little saying mind you.

We like the footboards too. Sure they touch down without much lean angle but this isn't an issue as they just rotate up. There were a couple of times when we did run out of cornering clearance, grinding something solid on the bike into the road but to be fair we were getting a bit carried away on a very tight bit of road.You have to love the engine too. It never seems to matter whether you are revving the bejesus out of it or lugging it, the big V-twin donk purrs along. Last year we put a K&N air filter, a Screaming Eagle tuner and slip on Rush pipes and we got a 50 per cent increase in torque. We imagine you would get a similar increase with the 103 cube engine, and although it doesn't need it, it would be nice.

Conclusion
HD hasn't continually upped the prices of its new machines. At $25,995 with ABS the Switchback represents good buying. You could have this bike in your garage for years without it really looking outdated. And it's a fun jigger to ride whether it's down the street on Sunday morning for the paper and a latte, or around the Aussie block.